Somedays I seem to be going in circles, I manage to do everything the hard way and it feels like I am 'pushing sh#t uphill', as the crass but cute aussie saying goes. On these days I like to imagine myself as a little seed. The seed of the mighty oak tree that has been placed in the dirt, covered over and appears to be trapped in darkness. Just like the little seed, I gather all my strength and focus to continue, then fumble my way through the soil until I reach the light. These times of darkness and struggle are the strength building days that prepare me to grow into the powerful oak tree that is my true nature.

I have noticed that if I focus on the darkness and the appearance of a struggle, life feels hard. Ouch! However, if I dive deeper and acknowledge that life has a natural ebb and flow like nature that is sometimes stalling, sometimes moving very slowly and other times moving swiftly, the darker times then take on greater value. They become part of the divine plan and are then no longer viewed as a hard struggle but a necessary phase in building strength and focus. I take my eyes off the superficial circumstances of 'it's not working, damn it', and dive into the deeper perspective and big picture of trust, inner guidance and natural growth. Nothing like a bit of reframing to allow a natural surrender to the moment and an enjoyment what is! Sometimes life feels a struggle because we are moving in a direction that is in conflict with our true nature and other times it is just a natural phase of slowing, growth and strength building. The key to discerning the difference is found within. By contacting our inner guidance and wisdom within that is always moving us in a healthy direction. In this way the hard days become our greatest teacher providing the opportunity to hone and develop our life skills.

5 Nifty tips to navigating the hard days.

Stop during a perceived struggle and take a deep breath. Spend some time meditating and observe the effect of the struggle on your being; body, mind, emotion, spirit.

Dive deeper than your circumstances and shift your focus towards the bigger picture, the natural flow and your intuition that is always guiding you in the direction of the light. Using your intuition as a guide you can then discern if your perceived struggle is aligned with your essence and continue or change direction.

Listen carefully for the inner guidance of your next step in a healthy direction and trust the timing in which to make each step. This is where patience often comes in!

Surrender to the natural flow of life and trust that your inner guidance will always lead you home and to visit all the worthwhile places along the way.

Acknowledge your true nature that is the source of all life and is beyond the duality of hard and easy, stuck and flowing. The unchanging, pure essence that is silently aware of all of life's natural unfoldings on the surface.

We are all in this fabulous and mysterious life together and you are supported each step of the way.

The Wellness Program (available on skype) is a life changing adventure if you are keen for some guidance through the tough times.

I'd love to hear what works for you on the hard days in the comments below and if you like the nifty tips, please share the love with your tribe!